India is the “second biggest foreign threat” to Canadian democracy after China, a high-level parliamentary panel has claimed. Russia, which had occupied the second position in a 2019 report, now occupies the third spot in the list.
The report was released by Canada’s National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians (NSICOP), comprising MPs and senators with top security clearances. The committee named two more Asian nations – Pakistan and Iran – that it claims threaten to undermine the country’s democracy.
The NSICOP explained that New Delhi has been moved to the top-three on the list as it had targeted “Canadian politicians, ethnic media and Indo-Canadian ethnocultural communities.”
The development comes amid an ongoing diplomatic row between Ottawa and New Delhi that erupted last year after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged the government of India was involved in the killing near Vancouver of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist activist and supporter of the ‘Khalistan’ movement.
The movement, which seeks the creation of a separate Khalistan nation-state to be carved out of India, has been outlawed by New Delhi.
India repeatedly denied the Canadian allegations and has sought proof from Trudeau’s government.
Tensions between the two nations flared yet again last month after Trudeau attended a rally in Toronto where several attendees chanted pro-Khalistan slogans. Later, India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Canadian deputy high commissioner over the matter. According to the ministry, “its deep concern and strong protest was conveyed at such disturbing actions being allowed to continue unchecked at the event.”
Last month, Canada arrested three Indian citizens in connection with last year’s assassination. The suspects – Karan Brar, Kamalpreet Singh, and Karanpreet Singh – had been living as non-permanent residents in Alberta, Canada for three to five years, according to Canadian police.
Earlier this year, Ottawa also investigated whether India had interfered in Canada’s 2021 election, which Trudeau won. However, a panel constituted to investigate charges of election meddling concluded there was no evidence of New Delhi interfering in the national vote, according to media reports.
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